Patent GB-687880-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to clothes washing machines
IPC: D06F37/36
Filed: 1950-10-16
Abstract: 687,880. Washing-machines. BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO., Ltd. Oct. 16, 1950. [Oct. 19, 1949] No. 25163/50. Class 138 (ii). In an electric washing-machine having a programming means for automatically energizing in succession electric circuits adapted to cause a predetermined cycle of operations and a manual member for setting this means to render it effective for a desired part of the cycle, an additional means controlled by the manual member is provided to operate hot and cold water valves so as to enable the filling of a tub of the machine independently of the operation of the programming means. General features. In the arrangement shown, as applied to a clothes washing machine of the oscillating agitator and rotating tub type, a casing 11 comprises an upper section 12 having a hinged lid 107, housing the tub and agitator and which defines a tub compartment 28 and which seats on a lower section 13 defining a machinery compartment 29. A frame 30 is resiliently supported in the compartment 29 by a bottom rubber bush bearing 32, 33 and is centred by four radially extending tension springs 35. Snubbers 39 between the frame and walls of the section 13 limit gyratory movement of the frame about the bottom bearing and the axis of the machine. A barrel 41 carried by the frame 30 projects into the section 12 within a sleeve 43 and supports a tub 49 on a sleeve 44, which is driven through a fluid drive mechanism 99 and a pulley 51 from an electric motor 97. The tub is formed with a conical bottom element 52 and an annular sediment trap 53, which communicates with the compartment 28 through diametrically opposite tubes 60. A heavy balance ring 56 having an inwardly directed flange 57 is secured to the top of the tub 49 and the balance ring is formed with openings 59 to facilitate passages of water from the tub upon rotation thereof. A tubular extension 64 of the element 52 houses the upper end of a shaft 63 to which is detachably secured a bladed agitator 67, having adjacent the normal water-position 72, auxiliary suds actuating vanes 71. The lower end of the shaft 63 is connected through a clutch mechanism 77 with an oscillating mechanism 73 within a casing 74 carried by the frame 30. The clutch mechanism is operated by a solenoid 81 and bell crank 80. The oscillating mechanism 73 and a drain pump 86 are driven through belts and pulleys from an electric motor 82. Water supply and drain means. The intake 92 of the drain pump 86 is connected to a connection 94 in the compartment 28 and discharges through an opening 96 in the compartment 29. A water inlet 109 discharges into the tub 49 beneath a hood 108 at the rear of the top section 12 and is connected to a mixing chamber of a solenoid operated inlet valve mechanism 112 within the compartment 29. The mechanism 112 defines cold and hot water chambers which are connected to suitable external water supplies and the mechanism is adapted to supply hot, cold or tepid water as required. Automatic control means. A programme selector switch 131 is mounted within the compartment 29 and is operable by means of a control dial 130 mounted for clockwise rotation on the top wall of the section 12. The selector switch 131 comprises control cams C 1  ... C 5  mounted on a shaft 139 which co-operate with switches S 1  ... S 5 , to control the hot and cold water valves, motors 82 and 150, clutch solenoid 81 and spin motor 97. The shaft is mounted for rotary and longitudinal movements the latter enabling an actuator 148 on the shaft 139 to engage or disengage contacts of a line switch L.S. The shaft 139 is also connected for step-by-step rotation through gearing and an escapement mechanism to a timer motor 150, whereby the shaft 139 may selectively be depressed, lifted or rotated manually irrespective of the operation of the timer motor. Operation. The clothes are placed in the tub 49 and hot, cold or tepid water is admitted by manual operation of the control dial 130 to a corresponding position on the dial relative to a fixed pointer 147. The dial is lifted to energize one or both water valves, start the motor 82 and the drain pump 86. The dial 130 is then depressed to shut off the water supply at the required level in the tub 49 and to stop the motor 82 and pump 86. The dial is then turned to the first "control" position, viz "wash", which is adjustable between 11¢ and ¢ minute, and the dial 130 is lifted to start the motor 82, pump 86 timer motor 150 and to operate the clutch mechanism 77 to oscillate the actuator 67. The timer motor thereafter drives the dial and switch 131 through the remaining "control" positions thereon to the "off" position, when the timer motor stops and the dial 130 is depressed to open the switch L.S. Any one of the operations in the automatic cycle may be repeated either before or after the completion of the cycle, by depressing the dial 130, rotating the dial to the "control" position required and again lifting the dial. Operation of the machine may be arrested at any time by depressing the dial 130. Specification 663,786 is referred to.